The Guardians' Myth
by Phedre no Delaunay
Summary: Millennia ago, a Guardian protected the Nine Worlds of Earth. When aid was denied him in his time of need, he gave it all to save the humans. When he returned, things had changed. Now, he wants revenge. Part One: COMPLETE!
1. Prologue: The Myth

From Sin, the Author:  
  
Okay all, here goes my very first full-fledged, posted DBZ/SM fic. Everything I've written so far has just been crap that I did to sharpen my writing skills, but this is the real thing. I'm writing this with some help from Phèdre nó Delaunay. (she's kinda like my editor only she doesn't tear my stuff to shreds and I don't pay her. She leaves the shredding to me and just eats all my food when she comes over to check my work. ^_^)  
  
Anyway, this story promises to be very lengthy with a very...err...special plot. Some new characters will appear, but I promise I'll do a character guide just so things remain crystal clear and unclouded. I really hope you enjoy my fic but for God's sake please don't be nice if you think there's something wrong. False praise is the bane of my existence and I prefer criticism if it helps me to improve my writing skills. However, if you choose to flame I would prefer if you gave some helpful hints or at least told me what was wrong instead of just blandly saying it sucked and then going along on your merry way. Thank you.  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own any DBZ or SM characters. I would like to claim that I'm that talented, but I'm not. I'm just a creative being with a little bit of time on my hands.  
  
Enjoy!!!  
  
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The Guardians' Myth  
  
The Guardian stared in silence at the council members arrayed in a half-circle before him, trying to judge their mood. He twisted his fingers behind his back nervously as he considered his chances of receiving aid for his planet. Not one of these people had anything to worry about, being the lords and sovereigns of Otherworldly domains, places that no enemy could ever infiltrate. Drawing a deep breath he opened his mouth to speak, trying to focus his attention on a safe place behind the heads of the central council members.  
  
"My domain is being threatened by a highly dangerous outside force," he began. "Beings from a distant planet have come and are prepared to invade the First World if I do not surrender my control of the Earth's defenses. I am aware that this council rarely interferes in the destiny of the humans but I ask for assistance in defeated these invaders. If they are not swiftly destroyed they will overrun my forces and all the dimensions of the Earth will fall. This is a direct violation of the inter- dimensional inter-cosmic peace treated signed between the Otherworldly leaders of every domain. To avoid this and the bloodshed that would ensue, I humbly ask that you lend your strength and your resources in destroying these creatures."  
  
For several long moments there was silence as the council regarded him in mild surprise. He had been correct in saying that the council did not interfere in human affairs and the fact that he would even act seemed an insult. After all, what did Otherworldly deities care for mortals who lived no more than a few decades at most? The central council members rose, their dark robes shifting slightly to cover their bodies completely.  
  
"You ask a foolish thing." Satan's voice came out in a soft rumble, filling the dimly lit chamber with the sound of thunder. "Why should the Council bother with humans?"  
  
"Please," the Guardian began, and then flinched at the tremor in his own voice. "Please, these are my people. I cannot simply let them be overrun without trying to save them." He scanned the arc of deities, trying to find even the faintest glimmer of support. "Please, help me."  
  
"No self-respecting Councilor would ever consider giving you aid, Guardian. We have other things to worry about," Limbo scowled, his swarthy features contracting into an ugly expression.  
  
"You might as well go now, Guardian," Elysian, her voice soothing and calm, spoke up. "No one here will help you."  
  
"Don't any of you understand?" the Guardian cried. "All of the people on all of the Earths are going to be annihilated! Doesn't that mean anything to you?"  
  
"Paperwork," Hel muttered from her place on the end, her pigtails wagging as she shook her head. "I am sorry, but all that death is nothing more than paperwork. Limbo is right, we have too much else to worry about without adding this to our plates." Her face was genuinely sympathetic as she spoke. "I really wish that I could help, but there is nothing that I can do for you."  
  
In desperation, the Guardian turned to the others. One by one, Arcadia, Kismet, Naal, Cyrille and Seda each shook their heads. Then his gaze settled on the last of the councilors, Void.  
  
"There is only one way for things to be, Guardian, and not even I can help you to change that." She glanced back at her fellows. "Though I believe that one day, much to our chagrin, we will realize that we should have." At this the others broke out into scattered whispers, glaring at the young woman who only regarded them with a mild, emotionless expression on her face.  
  
"If you will not help me, all will be lost," the Guardian whispered.  
  
"Then it will be lost," Satan snapped. "Now go. We have other things to see to." Guards materialized out of nowhere and gripped the Guardian's arms to lead him away. As he was forced from the chamber, he caught a glimpse of Hel and Void conversing in low tones at the end of the row, their eyes fixed on him even as he was taken from sight. When he was gone, Hel sighed.  
  
"I suppose that is it then."  
  
"No," Kismet murmured as she appeared beside them, her eyes flashing in the darkness. "That is not it, not by far." Then the double doors slammed closed and the council resumed.  
  
* * *  
  
The Guardian sat on his perch high above the Earth, crouching wearily upon the outer wall that protected his home. For countless centuries he had watched over the nine dimensions of the earth, safeguarding the humans from the dangers of the outside universe. He had watched them grow, watched them learn about the various powers that could be tapped from the world in which they lived. Now, all of that was about to be destroyed in a meaningless invasion that didn't even have to happen.  
  
Sighing, he formed a crystal sphere and linked it to the First World. Gazing into it he focused on a place he had once visited there, a small village by the sea. A tiny smile on his face, he watched as the fishermen hauled in their nets filled with fish and the children of the village ran through the muddy streets playing their games. Women stood in open doorways and called to their offspring to come inside or slaved away washing and cooking as they waited for their husbands, fathers, brothers and sons to return. It was a scene of peace, of normalcy, of happiness that would end in a shuddering heartbeat when the outsiders came.  
  
"No." The Guardian's fist closed around the crystal and he watched as it slid through his fingers, vanishing like smoke on the wind. Moving slowly, he climbed to his feet, lifting the wooden staff that sat beside him on the wall. Leaning some of his weight against it, he stared down at the shimmering concentric circles that represented the Nine Worlds and the hazy outer ring that was the Otherworld.  
  
"I'm not going to let it happen." He turned away toward the darkness that created the Outside, the place beyond his domain where the attack would come from. Determination hardened his features and his grip on the staff turned his gnarled fingers white with strain. Then, with a firm stride he moved along the edges of the wall. When he got the edge he took one step out into empty space and fell forward, vanishing into the unknown.  
  
From her place in the Otherworld, Kismet watched sadly as the Guardian moved toward the outermost ring of the Worlds, the outline of his figure barely discernable against the glow of light that filled the space behind him. In the darkness she could see the invaders moving in his direction, their ships sleek and menacing as weapons trained themselves on the power he was emanating. His light grew brighter as they neared, creating a wide field of green that surrounded him like a brilliant cloak. Then, just as the ships came within firing distance, the Guardian raised his staff, pointing it at the dim shapes that hovered in the distance. A flare of power erupted and shot through space, meeting with another few breaths away from the invaders.  
  
Kismet closed her eyes, unwilling to watch and witness the destruction of the Guardian as he defended his domain with his life. When she turned back the man was gone, and, to her surprise, so were the attackers. A tiny smile touched the corners of her mouth as she examined the threads that had been woven together to create the event she had just witnessed.  
  
"So, old man," she whispered to herself. "You had a few tricks up your sleeve after all."  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
From Phèdre, the Editor:  
  
So...it was special, right? The only problem you might have with this story is the original characters, but I can assure you that they aren't really confusing if you just think about their names for a minute. (Hel, Satan, Void, Arcadia etc) You should get used to it after a few chapters, promise.  
  
Anyway, the SM/DBZ stuff will show up toward the end of the next chapter. Happy fighting and stuff. There will be a lot of war and fighting in this story, so beware.  
  
I think that's about all I have to say at the moment. Leave happy critiques. If you review with something along the lines of 'OMG THAT WAS COOL WRITE MORE' or 'that sucked quit writing' we will laugh at you publicly in our author's notes. Sin has just told me that she will also hurt you very badly, so...make your reviews well rounded, and put some effort into them. ^_^ 


	2. Chapter One: A Mistake Left Unattended

From Sin, the Author:  
  
Ah, Chapter One. Chugging right along, aren't we? I'm trying to avoid lack of updates by chaining my hands to my computer for as many hours as my eyes can bear the strain. There's even a little slot in the door to allow food and drink to come through at hours of the day when sustenance is needed. ^_^  
  
Please don't be annoyed by my original characters. I can assure you that they are vital to the story and I'm doing my best to scratch them up for public view. A character guide will be appearing in chapter three or four (I'm not really sure which yet) so keep an eye out for it and read it when it comes along. Oh yeah, that brings me to something that has always bothered me in the past. READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES and/or editor's messages in every story. If you miss those you could be skipping over something that is vitally important to your understanding our enjoyment of the story. Please, for your sake and the sake of the author, read the story from the very beginning to the very end.  
  
As usual, please avoid statements such as 'great work' or 'horrible job.' I would rather know why you think it sucks or rocks than just know your opinions are vague and your ideas are stated before they actually have time to develop into anything worth listening to. Believe me, I won't go on a rampage if you point out something that I may have missed when I was writing the story. I'm definitely not perfect, and even my editor can miss things so I would appreciate hearing what you have to say.  
  
I am going to apologize in advance for the account of the battle in DBZ in this chapter. It is definitely not going to be exactly the same as it was in the series because my memory is not very precise. However, I will add nothing new and try not to leave anything out so if you're a major battle fan I hope you can understand. As for SM I am kind of 'adding' a battle that was never depicted in the series but that probably would have been a part of the Crystal Tokyo battle with Prince Demando. Again, I hope you understand.  
  
Disclaimer: Yet again, I do no town any characters from DBZ/SM. If I did, I would have more money than I do now, and I wouldn't be hoarding loose change beneath the floorboard in my room.  
  
Oh yes, please do not operate any heavy machinery while reading my fic. You might miss a word or two and stare in shock as you think you read 'and he humped the principal's leg in hope of getting a raise' instead of 'and he jumped away from the principal's desk as the old man began growing horns and fangs.' Then you'll realize that you're missing a rather integral part of your anatomy and the machine you have been operating is making a really funny growling sound. Thank you and good night.  
  
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A Mistake Left Unattended  
  
The messenger shivered as he was led through the chill marble halls, trying not to let his guide see his discomfort. All around him black marble pillars rose up into the darkness overhead like giants reaching up into the sky. Enormous statues were carved into the niches between the pillars, representations of a thousand heroes long dead. Their names and deeds were depicted on silver plaque set at their pale stone feet, each one lovingly polished despite the fact that no one ever came to see them. It was sad somehow, like a beautiful portrait that no one ever saw.  
  
"You will wait here for a few moments," the guide informed him smoothly, and the messenger glanced up in surprise at the hallway they had stopped in eve as the other man disappeared. Compared to the corridor they had just left it was rather plain, adorned with only a few paintings on the walls and one or two windows covered in heavy drapes.  
  
Trying not to show any fear at being left alone, the little man grasped his hands behind his back and focused his attention on a painting hanging on the wall. After a moment he looked away. It was an artist's rendition of the Final Judgement, and the man who stood to be judged was screaming in agony as a pair of slim white hands rested on either side of his face. There was no need to see whom the hands belonged to, for though they rose out of the darkness like pale ghosts, he still had nightmares about their owner.  
  
"I apologize for the wait. The Lady will be along momentarily." The guide had reappeared before him and the messenger nodded weakly. Then a figure emerged from a distant doorway and he felt his heart freeze in his chest as it began to make its way in his direction.  
  
Almost twenty-five years had passed since the messenger had seen Lady Hiatus and their last meeting had left him with nightmares for every night since then. Even now as she made her way toward him he could remember the darkness in her eyes and the feel of her hands burning agony into his flesh. Blue flashed across his vision and he could still see the bottom of the Well of Souls as he gazed into its flickering depths, could still hear the music humming up through the light. Shaking his head he focused on the woman before him, a woman who had not noticeably changed since he had last gazed upon her face.  
  
"Devlon Acrei." She gave him a slight nod of acknowledgement and he felt a twist in his gut that she remembered his name. "Kral tells me that you have brought a message."  
  
"A...yes m'lady." Devlon gave an awkward bow and placed the fragile parchment into the woman's outstretched hand. He shuddered as his fingers grazed hers for a moment and pulled his hand away as quickly s he could, hoping she did not notice.  
  
After a cursory glance at the scrawling letters written on the paper, she nodded at Kral and with a graceful turn, began making her way back to her quarters. The guide put a hand on Devlon's elbow and led him away, back through the maze of corridors and columns that would take him out into the portal. He was anxious to get back to the rest of the Otherworld, to get away from the icy corridors and empty silence of the Hall of Hiatus.  
  
Back in her quarters the Lady Hiatus sat on the edge of her bed, staring down at the paper sitting in her lap. She read the words over and over again, engraving them upon her brain and reflecting their knowledge back into her dark eyes. One hand shook as she lifted the parchment and sent it fluttering across the room and into the fireplace where it became nothing more than ash in mere moments.  
  
After a few seconds of silence the satin sheets on the bed whispered down to the edge and a strong arm wrapped around her shoulders. The Lady allowed herself to be dragged back to bed and settled comfortably against the curve of a familiar shoulder.  
  
"What did it say?" the voice was deep but soft, understanding of the hazy light that had entered her eyes.  
  
"The Council is convening. They wish to discuss a highly important matter." The words sounded automatic, as if she had no idea what she was really saying.  
  
"Void, you've known about that for weeks. Now, what did the messenger's note say?" A hand tilted her chin up so that she was gazing into a pair of kind blue eyes.  
  
"It was from Kismet," she said at last, putting her head back against his shoulder. "It said, 'What you feared has come to pass'." She closed her eyes in an effort to stop seeing the words crawling across the paper, reaching up to grip her heart with ice.  
  
"And what does that mean?" Void curled tighter against him, as though she were trying to make herself as small as possible.  
  
"The Council made a mistake long ago and now they have to face the consequences for it."  
  
"Somehow I don't think that you're telling me everything."  
  
"Please." Her voice was frail and filled with fear. "Can we talk about it tomorrow?" A long silence followed, and at last the strong arms settled more firmly about her.  
  
"Yes."  
  
* * *  
  
Hel yawned as Satan and Arcadia made the opening address, reminding the councilors of the importance of the events that were discussed during their meetings. For the most part the sovereign of Purgatory didn't think most of the things they discussed were really that interesting. They spent more time arguing than actually talking anyway and they rarely agreed on a final decision, leaving it up to a majority vote that left nearly half the members grumbling for the next three decades. To put it simply, she didn't think the method was very effective.  
  
"Now that the Council has convened I turn the floor over to Lord Satan, who will explain the agenda for today." Lady Arcadia bowed her head and returned to her seat, leaving the tall, powerful lord to stand by himself on the audience floor. Hel stifled a giggle with her hand as her brother began pacing the floor, obviously working up to his subject. She shot a glance at her long-time friend Void expecting to see the young woman rolling her eyes. Instead the other ruler was watching Satan intently, breathing shallowly as though bracing herself for a coming blow.  
  
"Nearly eight-hundred years ago, the Guardian of the nine Worlds came to us asking for our help in defeating an invading army from Outside. We reminded him that the Council does not interfere in human affairs and he left to face the forces on his own. Although the details of his battle are unclear we do know that he completely annihilated the attackers on his own, proving that he did not, after all, need our assistance." This brought a few smiles from the councilors who remembered the man pacing the audience floor and pleading with them to lend their aid.  
  
"However," Satan continued. "When the battle was over the Guardian did not have enough power left to sustain himself. He fell back to the First World and created a small dimensional pocket between the First and Second rings where he could take his time to recover. Ordinarily this would be of no interest to the sovereigns of the Tenth World but I think when you hear what I have to say you will change your minds.  
  
"The dimensional pocket that the Guardian created for himself has begun to cause a separation of the first two Worlds. Where his safe-haven was constructed the fabric of the dimensions is beginning to wear thin and tear away. In time this could either cause an overlap between the two Earths or it could create a separate dimension in between them. Either of these occurrences would be disastrous for the Tenth World, causing either a dimensional shock that could destroy our defenses or a renumbering of the dimensions, which would result in a power imbalance. Therefore, I believe that you will agree with me when I say that something must be done.  
  
"How do you know all this, Satan?" Elysian demanded, her pale eyes confused. "You never look in on the Worlds, and not even I knew about the Guardian's survival of the final battle. Forgive me but I find it difficult to believe that you became curious and decided to see what had happened and I would like to know how you have come about such information."  
  
"I told him." Heads turned and eyes settled on the slender figure of Kismet sitting in their midst, gazing boldly back.  
  
"Why was no one else informed then?" Limbo growled, annoyed that his long-time rival had been given valuable knowledge before himself.  
  
"No one else needed to know." Kismet smiled slightly. "None of you would have had the audacity or the foresight to do what was needed, not after everyone refused to assist the Guardian all those years ago. I did what was required of me to ensure that our World survives and remains strong under our leadership. If you have a problem with that, well, I guess that can be construed as some kind of treason wouldn't it?" The silence in the council chamber was palpable. One by one the councilors glanced at each other and then back at Kismet, their gazes finally settling on Satan. When all eyes were on him once more, the Lord of Hell smiled.  
  
"Then all that we need to do is figure out what must be done." He gave a respectful bow and returned to his seat at the central table, leaving the floor open and the subject up to debate.  
  
Hel was staring at her brother open-mouthed as he went back to sit down. When the councilors began speaking once again she scarcely heard it, focusing her attention instead on the memories that flooded her mind. Scowling, she shook her pigtails and sat back in her chair in disgust.  
  
Eight hundred years before Satan had made it perfectly clear that he would give no aid to the man known as the Guardian. His reasoning had been sound and was shared by most of the people on the Council. After all, they each had their own realms to look after and there were much bigger problems than the annihilation of a race as puny and self-centered as the humans. Every councilor had agreed without argument and afterward Satan himself had told her that no harm would ever come of their refusal to give aid. Now he stood there telling them that they needed to do something as if he had known all along that this would happen. The thoughts boiled her blood and made her hands clench tightly into fists even as she turned her attention too what Arcadia was saying.  
  
"First we need to decide on a way to remove the problem of the dimensional pocket that the Guardian created. We cannot simply destroy it because the Council cannot be party to murder of any kind and the destruction of the Guardian would definitely be murder."  
  
"Undeniable," Void muttered, and a few of the councilors glanced at her uneasily as they heard the silken tone in her voice.  
  
"If that's the case, we have to find a way to break the pocket open so that he has no choice but to come out." Cyrille spread her hands across the table as though flattening a piece of paper. "The easiest way to do that would be a cross-dimensional power surge that would hit the pocket from both sides and warp its structure. Any power that went into making it would dissipate and the Guardian would be forced to leave his slumber."  
  
"That's all well and good," Limbo began. "But how do you propose we cause a cross-dimensional power surge of the magnitude needed to accomplish such a thing?"  
  
"That is simple." Kismet's calm voice cut through the discussion and all eyes turned to her once again. "The warriors of the First World are currently at war with a being of great strength whom they will defeat in approximately then days. In the Fourth World the defenders of the capital will be battling an evil at the same time the warriors of the First World triumph. All we need to do is ensure that the final blast of each attack is rerouted across the dimensions in the direction of the pocket. It will happen at the same time, relatively, and the strength of the blows should be enough to do the job."  
  
"Very well then." Satan glanced around. "All in favor?" Nine hands drifted into the air and he nodded. "Then might I suggest, ladies and gentlemen, that we get started?"  
  
* * *  
  
Gohan moved painfully, every twinge of his muscles causing agony to spark in the damaged remnants of his arm. Glancing down at it he winced, his eyes reluctant to take in the shredded skin and damaged tissue that hung limply at his side. He tried to wiggle his fingers and bit back a groan of despair when the attempt only brought fresh pain. At a loss he turned his gaze to Cell, the monster that had caused so much damage to his world and would, undoubted cause even more if he wasn't stopped. Anger surged as he regarded his opponent and he wondered just how hard he was going to have to fight to win this. Taking a faltering step forward, he fell into a fighting stance.  
  
Cell watched from across the field as the boy prepared to attack once more, despite the limb that now hung useless at his side. Despite his irritation that the kid wouldn't die he felt a flicker of interest at the back of his mind as he wondered what his opponent would try to do next. There was very little he could do physically with the use of only one arm, and many of his strongest attacks were two-handed. Curious, Cell took a step forward as well and began to power up.  
  
"Ka." Gohan began gathering his power into his good hand, pushing it into his arm and down into his fingertips. "me." His eyes narrowed as he watched Cell begin to power up as well. "ha." An image of his father flashed into his mind and he bit back a scream of anger. "me." The familiar words rolled off his tongue and he imagined that he could hear his father saying them as well. "ha!" Light flashed off his fingertips and out of his palm, widening into an enormous beam as it shot toward Cell.  
  
"Huh. What a waste," Cell muttered. "That attack is nothing. I can't believe he's putting all his energy into something I've defeated before." Without another thought he returned his opponents fire in one concentrated field. An arrogant smile touched his lips as the two forces met and his own began to overwhelm the child's. "So disappointing. I would have liked to go on all day but I suppose, if you insist we'll have to just end it here."  
  
Gohan didn't have to hear what Cell was saying in order to feel his muscles tense in barely controlled fury. Rather than yell or waste any of his energy he poured everything into the arm controlling the Kamehameha that was doing battle with Cell's attack. With every movement he felt his strength draining, watched his energy pushed back just a little farther as he was gradually beaten down. Tears gathered in his eyes against his will and he felt despair begin to rise up.  
  
"I can't do this!" he cried.  
  
"Gohan, yes you can." The boy blinked, hearing his father's voice. "You have the power to do this, you've always has the power. All you have to do is reach inside yourself and use it."  
  
"Dad?"  
  
"Gohan, just do it!" Something in Gohan's head snapped, a forgotten memory, a realization, a piece of his mind that had not been in the right place. His Kamehameha flared brighter and he watched as it surged back across the field toward Cell. He watched with hope and a grim satisfaction as Cell's eyes widened in surprise and then vanished behind the gleaming wall of energy that smashed into him. The explosion was enormous, radiating out around the battlefield in waves and surging through the landscape around them, tearing rocks to shreds. Faintly, at the back of his mind he heard his father's voice again and beyond in an unfamiliar one, speaking in a low tone.  
  
"And you see all you have to do is pull that power this way a little and it's heading straight for our little friend."  
  
"Well done Kismet. I think this will do the trick." Then he blinked and it was gone and he was left to watch the smoke clear in the aftermath of his triumph.  
  
* * *  
  
Neo-Queen Serenity watched in dismay as the enemy attacks took out another portion of her beloved city, leaving only dust and rubble behind. Tears gathered in the corners of her eyes and she felt a familiar feeling of despair and terror as the energy beams bean sweeping up toward the palace. For a moment fear clouded her mind and she was fourteen again, facing off with monsters that she didn't want to be facing because someone else told her that she had to do it. All she had ever wanted was to be normal.  
  
"Usagi?" she blinked and nodded to Venus. The blond girl turned her attention to the other senshi as she directed them into their battle positions around their Queen. One by one they powered up and Serenity listened to the familiar voices of her old friends, her guardians, as they prepared to fight.  
  
"Mars Crystal Power, Make-Up!" Shaking her head she turned her crystal blue gaze on the dark palace that had appeared on the horizon and the ship that hovered near it. They were her targets.  
  
"Mercury Crystal Power, Make-Up!" For a moment it was all that he Queen could do to remain standing where she was and not to run out of the throne room. Even all her years as a sovereign had not removed the panic that could threaten to overwhelm her when danger was near.  
  
"Venus Crystal Power, Make-Up!" The light was blinding as the enemy attack neared her palace, its energy traveling ever closer and threatening to destroy the very last of the defenders. Serenity's panic dimmed a little as she remembered her people, her daughter, and all the years that she had stood in defense of her kingdom.  
  
"Jupiter Crystal Power, Make-Up!" King Endymion touched her arm gently and she nodded, lifting the silver crystal above her head and focusing all of her will on the dark forms of the enemy craft as they advanced on the palace.  
  
"Moon Cosmic Power!" The strength it took to hold the crystal as it shot power toward her opponents almost undid her then and there. Her arms shook as she struggled to hold the crystal aloft, to keep her mind focused on the task at hand. An arm wrapped around her waist and she could hear her husband's voice, reassuring in her ear as his hands settled on hers to help her hold the weapon. For a few fragile moments she allowed hope to creep over her mind as she watched her energy blast connect with those of the enemy.  
  
"Oh God no," she whispered in horror as her own attack was met and slowly overtaken. It moved steadily back in her direction, down the shaft of light created by the silver crystal and toward her shaking hands. Tears streamed down her cheeks and she wondered for a moment what would happen to her daughter, to her friends, to her, and then there was a voice hissing in the back of her mind, a voice she had never heard before.  
  
"Reroute the power. Send it through the gap there." In the darkness behind her eyes she could see her own power mixed with the power of her enemies as it sped toward a dark pocket somewhere in space. On the other side another flash of energy came hurtling through the stars and she watched as they both hit the dark space at exactly the same time. There was a blinding flash and the little dark pocket was gone completely from view, leaving only the remnant of the opposing flare to fizzle lazily in her direction. Of her attack there was no sign, and after a few moments the other was gone as well leaving only silence and darkness. Then there was a hand on her shoulder and she turned to see her husband regarding her with a strained smile.  
  
"It's over, Serenity." He helped her lower the shattered fragments of the crystal. For a few seconds she found hope as she gazed out across the still-smoking courtyard toward the enemy. Then the smoke cleared and she saw that they remained, still standing and unharmed, a silent, brooding force that would destroy her.  
  
"No." Her eyes rolled back in her head and she fainted even as she fought desperately for an answer. This just couldn't be the end, could it?  
  
* * *  
  
When the energy blasts hit his dimensional pocket, the Guardian was ripped from his slumber. His eyes opened groggily and he scarcely had enough time to teleport out of the way before his safe-haven was completely and utterly destroyed. Confused he looked around, trying to remember where he was and how he had come to be there. Images of a battle flashed in his mind, of a Council that would not give aid and a sacrifice that had nearly cost him his life. Then he turned his senses toward the First World, curious. Time had passed, too much time for the World to be without a Guardian. Frowning, he summoned his newly returned strength and began making his way toward the First of the Nine Worlds that he had protected over eight centuries before.  
  
In her realm Kismet watched the Guardian as he made his way toward the First World. A laugh rose in her throat and bubbled outward with all the force of her power behind it, screaming into the darkness of time and careening off the edges of reality. A few tears of amusement gathered and trickled down her cheeks, filling her mouth with salt as she struggled with hysteria. It wasn't funny at all, what she saw.  
  
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~  
  
From Sin, the Author:  
  
Larissa- as the wonderful and famous Mr. Bishop would say, you are a friggin' monkey. Did you NOT READ THE AUTHOR'S NOTES? I would understand if you were pressed for time or totally out of it but I did make a point of asking for more than a bland 'that was awesome.' I appreciate the fact that you took the time to review, but uh, maybe next time add a little more substance?  
  
Sailor Ronin Usa-chan- Yay. I really like your fic, Kamereon. ^_^ Really funny so far, and I have been enjoying the Schuldig/Usagi stuff. Your review was good, thanks for taking the time to tell me what you thought.  
  
Christina- All right, yeah. Thanks for reviewing; it makes me feel special to know that someone is actually paying attention now and then. I hope to hear more from you if you review again though, such as critiques and all that. Well, thanks again, bye.  
  
Born4Glory- Okay, now I can sit back and breathe a sigh of relief that I won't be flamed to high heaven and down to hell again. ^_^ I must say, I do really enjoy reading some of the 'presents' that you leave in the review box, but I'm glad I didn't get any. I'm really trying to get as much of this story done as possible so I can sit back and relax while Phèdre posts. (yeah, yeah, I'm a lazy bum) Hope to hear more from you...Sin  
  
Sporanox- Ah, the infamous Sporanox. First of all, I would like to thank you for reviewing. Secondly I would like to ask you why you are already assuming that I'm cool now but I'm going to be an idiot later on. What's up with that? If you really think that I'm any better than those hormone- high middle school freaks then don't treat me like I'm just the same. Give the story a chance before you assume that something is going to happen the way it would in some random betrayal or something like that. As for my original characters, I can readily assure you that they are very important and will definitely have personalities that are easy to identify. As I said before, don't assume that after the prologue I'm going to start drooling and talking out of my ass. The originals won't disappear, the SM girls would never in any dimension or plot be stronger than the z-fighters (now that's just stupid) and I am NOT A MOONIE. Now that we have all of that out of the way...  
Thanks again for reviewing. You actually gave me criticisms rather than just staring blankly at the screen, having a seizure and then writing, 'uh yeah, that was good.' I'll take what you've said into account when I write my next chapters...I think that would be chapter four now, and we'll see where we get from there.  
  
I love the world. Not. Sin  
  
From Phèdre, the Editor:  
  
Uh...Sporanox...I don't really know where all that came from...but I think she still thinks you're cool...I think. Oh well...just keep telling people the truth, and we'll end up fine.  
  
To the rest of you who reviewed, thanks. Especially Sailor Ronin Usa-chan, because you're just that cool.  
  
The next chapter and a half are written...review, and you will get more! 


	3. Chapter Two: A Wasted Sacrifice

From Sin, the Author:  
  
Yet another day, yet another chapter. I'll probably be up late tonight working on this, if I don't fall asleep at my computer first. You know an author is dedicated to work when they doze off at regular intervals and can't seem to remember when their last meal was.  
  
Ah well, as soon as chapter four is done I'm going to take a bit of a vacation before starting on the next part. That should give people time to read what I have out so far and give me enough time to catch up on lost sleep and missed meals.  
  
Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter; it's going to have a lot more DBZ/SM characters in it than the Prologue and Chapter One. Please review with questions/criticisms and please, for god's sake no bland rejections or groundless praise! Give me reviews with some substance people, lots of substance!!!  
  
Disclaimer: As always I do not own any DBZ or SM characters. However, I do have a great deal on Otherworldly beings and other such creatures. Just as long as the authorities don't get wind of it, everything should turn out just peachy. ^_^  
  
***  
  
A Wasted Sacrifice  
  
The fishing village that had been the Guardian's last and fondest memory of the First World was gone. Over the passing centuries it had aged, sickened, and died in the sun until a company hoping to build factories on the east coast had bought it. The charming homes and small dock vanished to be replaced by towering walls of stone and metal and thick clouds of black smog that drifted lazily up into the polluted sky. Fish that lived in the waters nearby were killed and the ecosystem so damaged that it was estimated by scientists that it would take centuries to recover. Even after three hundred years of being left utterly to its own devices, it hadn't quite gotten there yet.  
  
The Guardian stood on a rise overlooking the small cove that had once inspired him to find the strength needed to defeat the invaders. From where he stood he could see the wide expanse of scummy water and the long reaches of coastline permanently warped by years of chemical dumps and leakage from the factory plant. No wildlife could be seen nearby and the few plants that remained were hard, scrubby things that thrived on nothing more than dry stone and disease. Reading the history of the place in the vibrations of the air, the man who had once saved all nine Worlds from utter destruction felt a flicker of rage start at the back of his mind.  
  
"Who're you?" Blinking, the Guardian turned around to see a group of teenagers standing a few feet away. They looked strange, wearing ragged clothing and glaring at him with openly hostile expressions on their faces.  
  
"Well hello. It's very nice to meet you." The teens exchanged glances and the leader, a short girl with spiky hair and a nose ring, spoke first.  
  
"Whatever. Get off our turf." For a moment the Guardian stared at the group, trying to piece together the meaning of the words. Then he frowned slightly and stood a little taller.  
  
"I do not appreciate being spoken to in such a manner."  
  
"Well get used to it gramps." A boy with multiple piercings and a tattoo folded his arms across his chest. "You'd better get outta here if you don't want no trouble."  
  
"Excuse me?"  
  
"Yeah yeah. Why don't you just go fuck yourself or something? At least get out of our way. Didn't you see the signs?" A very young girl in a pink sundress waved a hand back in the direction of the main road. "They say no trespassing, and when it says no trespassing, that means old farts like you."  
  
"Gods, what's happened to the world since I've been gone?" the Guardian murmured, staring in wide-eyed shock at the youths before him. "How can you treat me in such a way and act like you are not insulting? Have you no respect for your elders, no manners at all?"  
  
"Manners? If we had manners we wouldn't be asking you to leave; we would have escorted you off the property by now." The boy who spoke was wearing a nice suit, but the expression on his face was similar to the others. "Besides, you're babbling like a friggin whacko and it's getting annoying. Why don't you just take off?" By this time the Guardian's cheeks were flamed with red and he was clenching his fists to keep from screaming in rage.  
  
"If I were you I would grow a healthy respect for others and a better understanding of the world," the Guardian muttered. "As you are now you're not fit to walk on this earth." Hearing this the teenagers laughed, their voices mocking as they jeered at him once more.  
  
"Don't preach old man, just go. We don't care and we won't listen, so there's really no point in staying and grumbling about the youth of today and all that crap. In case you haven't taken a good look around lately, allow me to let you in on a word of wisdom. Nobody cares anymore. Now go back to whatever little hut you crawled out of and leave us alone."  
  
Sparks flying from his eyes the Guardian took a moment to glare at each child in turn before lifting his staff and making his way slowly toward the road. Behind him he could hear snorts of laughter and a few sarcastic comments flung at his back. The insults didn't hurt; immortals such as himself paid very little attention to such things but the empty, glazed look in the eyes of the young people as they told him to leave.he hung his head. What had happened to the world since he'd been gone?  
  
***  
  
Hel paced back and forth across the deep carpet of her personal chamber, pigtails swaying with every sharp turn as she reached one wall of the room and began stalking toward the other. Her blue-green eyes were flashing with fury and the white flesh of her knuckles stood out in grim contrast to her dark robes as she gripped her hands into tiny fists. The cause of her anger sat in the small waiting room outside of her office, idly toying with the emotions of her demon secretary as he anticipated the end of her tantrum. With a stifled howl she thrust her shoulder against the door into her office and slumped into her desk chair.  
  
"Send the bastard in.," she muttered over the intercom and her secretary, struggling to regain her composure, quietly told Lord Satan that his little sister would see him now.  
  
In response the tall man wiggled his fingers at her and strolled casually into Hel's office, his hands in his pockets as he sank gracefully into the hard-backed chair placed in front of the desk. For a few moments he regarded his sister with a cool, indifferent gaze but when she showed no sign of speaking a faint gleam of wickedness entered his eyes.  
  
"Why my dear baby sister, is something troubling you?" The insolent tone in his voice put Hel on edge and she gritted her teeth as her nails dug into the edge of the desk.  
  
"I'm not in the mood for any of your bull, Satan," she snapped. "Since when did it become good policy to allow a shapeshifter through the backdoor and into my realm without my permission? Do you have any idea what that little stunt had done?" Crescent-shaped gouges appeared in the wood of her desk as her brother's mouth quirked into a smug smile. "Is something funny?"  
  
"I just thought that perhaps you could use a little action. Honestly Hel, all you do is paperwork from dawn until dusk. A rebellion would give you a reason to get out of this stuffy little office and do something for a change. You can't tell me that you're not grateful."  
  
"Grateful is hardly the word I would use, brother." Hel's eyes flashed, swirling as blue-green as a stormy sea. "Your little friend decided it would be funny to rouse my poultry-geists into an all-out rebellion against my authority. On top of that I just got over four hundred new cases to sort out because some demon on the third world thought it would be funny to cause a few massive earthquakes in major cities. I don't appreciate your intervention into my life, especially when it was neither needed nor requested. Next time, ask me before you set about making my life better." She turned her attention to the stack of papers on the corner of her desk. "Now get out, I have a lot of work to do and I don't need you distracting me."  
  
"Awww, but sis..."  
  
"I said get out!" The girl-ruler's voice rose to a shriek and if there was a graceful way to scurry, her brother found it as he hurriedly left the office and, with a wink at the secretary, made his way out of the building.  
  
"If she's that mad after something that small I hate to think how she'll react when she finds out about the other stuff I did." Then he chuckled to himself as he imagined her face when she discovered his other 'contributions' to her welfare. It would be worth seeing, even if he had to be within range of a fireball to see it.  
  
***  
  
The Guardian was very upset. He had traveled throughout most of the First Earth and everywhere he went things were the same. No one seemed to care about the state of the earth and they seemed even less inclined to do something about it. Even those who did not openly add to the problem refused to even see that there was one, preferring to walk around in a daze as they led meaningless, petty lives filled with outlet malls and fast food. They were lazy, did not want to work for anything, and cared so little about those around them that the immortal had to wonder how they ever managed to reproduce. In short, his sacrifice had been an utter waste.  
  
"Feeling a little down are we?" Startled, the Guardian whirled around to see a very familiar young woman standing a few feet away.  
  
"Kismet?" Never in all of his years as a protector of the Nine Worlds had he known one of the Otherworldly deities to leave the Tenth World for one of the Earths.  
  
"Oh don't act surprised to see me here. Void travels to the Fourth World all of the time so she can buy batteries and Hel likes to chow on popcorn at the movie theaters. We deities aren't so completely detached from life that we don't interact with mortals every now and then." She smiled then and he noticed, as he had eight centuries before, that she had one brilliantly blue eye and one that was a startling gold. It made him uneasy.  
  
"When I gave everything I had for these people I didn't realize that when I woke up I would find they had wasted their chance at happiness and success." Kismet shrugged.  
  
"I'm not surprised. That's why we wouldn't help you. Everyone on the council knew then that the humans were flawed. It was just a matter of time before they went about destroying themselves and now they're almost there. You really shouldn't feel bad. I mean, you never could have seen this coming." She smiled sweetly. "You were too blinded by your devotion to this pathetic race to even dream that they would repay you in such a way." There was something about the way she said it that made the Guardian's muscles tense in anger.  
  
"You could have told me." It was true. Eight hundred years ago Kismet had known this would be the eventual result of his sacrifice and she had chosen not to tell him. Now she merely shrugged, fixing her mismatched eyes on the ancient man before her.  
  
"You would never have believed me." She informed him bluntly. "As I said, you were too blinded by your devotion and too certain that you were doing the right thing. It really is too bad though." She glanced around with a strange kind of satisfaction, as if she somehow reveled in the downfall of the human race. "Well, I have to be going now." She turned to leave.  
  
"Kismet, what should I do?" he called after her, and she paused in mid-stride before turning slowly around.  
  
"You nearly gave your life to save them and this is what they do with your gift." One hand waved in the air, gesturing to the city streets and the masses of people making their way through their lives. Her eyes flashed as she looked at him and her words struck him to his very core. "If you ask me, you should take it back." And then she was gone as if she had never been, leaving him to stand on an empty hillside outside of a city and wonder about her advice.  
  
"Maybe I will," he said after a moment. "Maybe I will."  
  
***  
  
When Vegeta felt the flicker of power in the distance he was training in the gravity room of the Brief's house. The surge of energy brought him to a stop mid-punch and he glanced around in annoyance as though trying to identify the source of the interruption. With a scowl fixed on his face he thrust the door of the g-room open and stepped outside, his dark eyes scanning the horizon for any sign of the strange fighter. There was no one in sight save Bulma's mother who was busy hanging the laundry out to dry, not even noticing that for the first time in months the Saiya-jin prince had left his training in the middle of the day.  
  
"What the hell is that?" Vegeta muttered, his eyebrows drawn together as he fixed his concentration on the power that hovered at the edge of his senses. Even as he settled on it the power flared, causing his muscles to tense.  
  
"Oh Vegeta, can I get you something?" Ignoring Bulma's mother, who had finally noticed him standing a few feet away from her, Vegeta took a step in the direction of the strange energy.  
  
"Vegeta?" Bulma's voice sounded from the house but he did not turn around. Instead he paused for one last moment to consider the direction that the power was coming from before leaping into the air and flying away. On the porch Bulma stalked forward angrily, watching as he disappeared from view. "VEGETA! GET BACK HERE RIGHT NOW!"  
  
***  
  
In her chamber in the Palace of Crystal Tokyo Neo-Queen Serenity was having a nightmare. She was unaware of her husband's desperate attempts to wake her from her slumber, and she did not know that somewhere beyond the walls of her palace her enemy was making their final plans to take her kingdom. Instead she knew only the darkness of her mind as she fought desperately against an enemy that would not die.  
  
"You are a fool Serenity." The man who spoke to her wore a dark cloak and she could not see his face above the crystal glowing between his hands. "You think you can hold your palace against our forces any longer? We know the crystal is drained despite the fact that you have repaired it and there is nothing standing between us save the pitiful efforts of your guardians." The man laughed, a low chuckle that chilled her to the bone. "By this time tomorrow we will have your kingdom and it will not matter if you try to fight because we will have the crystal."  
  
"No." The Queen bit her lip and took a step back. "It's not going to happen that way! We're going to defeat you even if we have to die in order to do it." Tears sprang to her eyes. "You're not going to win!"  
  
"That's it Serenity, tell yourself that you still have the strength you need to defeat me and the forces I have at my disposal. Believe that you can triumph even when I am standing over you with the crystal in my hands and your beloved at my feet. None of it will matter when the time comes for you to die." Screaming, Serenity tore her face away from the robed figure.  
  
"Don't cry my love."  
  
"Mamoru?" She blinked and stared at the pale-haired man standing before her. "Who are you?"  
  
"Come with me darling, and don't cry. It will be all right." He reached out a hand and she shied away, staring at him.  
  
"I'm dreaming," she whispered. "I'm dreaming, someone wake me up!" Anger hardened the lines of the strange man's face and a third eye opened in his forehead.  
  
"Come with me now!" The light was blinding and she struggled to look away, screaming even as fingers closed around her arm and tried to pull her away. There was an explosion, a flare of power surging toward her and she tried to raise her arms to block it...  
  
"NOOOOOO!" Serenity jerked upright and screamed as she felt a pair of arms close around her. She clawed at the person holding her, struggling to get away from the man with the eye glaring down at her from the middle of his forehead.  
  
"Usako it's me, it's Mamoru. Usako what's wrong?" His voice brought her out of her hysteria and she turned to stare at the dark-haired, blue- eyed man who sat beside her in the bed. As she looked at him her chin began to quiver and tears filled her eyes until she couldn't see.  
  
"No I don't want to go with him," she wailed, throwing herself at his chest and breaking into heart-wrenching sobs. "I want to stay with you. I don't want him to take me away from you. Don't let him take me away."  
  
"Ssh, it's all right Usako. I'm not going anywhere and neither are you." He rubbed his hands over her back, concern filling his eyes as she began to shiver. "It was just a dream, there's nothing to be afraid of." She cried herself back to sleep in his arms and as he lay awake long afterward, still holding her, he wondered what she had dreamed about that had frightened her so. Closing his eyes he kissed her hair and knew deep in his heart that he never wanted to find out.  
  
***  
  
The man was old. In fact, to Vegeta's eyes he looked downright ancient and the sight made him feel sick. Among the Saiya-jins no one was ever allowed to get that old, that frail. They died in battle long before that could happen and were honored as the warriors that they were. Therefore the sight of an obviously old man emanating immense power was enough to make the Prince of Saiya-jins a little more than merely annoyed. It made him want to kill the man just so he wouldn't have to look at him any more.  
  
"Who are you?" The question was asked in a voice that was firm despite the man's obvious lack of real physical strength. Rather than answer the question, Vegeta allowed his senses to assess the man, realizing with dismay that this was indeed the holder of the power he had felt earlier.  
  
"You're a fool, old man." Vegeta scowled. "Go back to where you came from before I get annoyed and kill you. I don't have much patience for the elderly."  
  
"No one seems to these days," the man muttered. "I am the Guardian of this planet and as such I demand to know who you are."  
  
"I don't see a reason to give my name to a dead man. Besides, I wasn't aware that this planet had a protector. If that were true I would not have had to lower myself to fight creatures that were beneath me in the years since I came to this planet."  
  
"There was an invasion eight hundred years ago and I used all of my energy to protect the world. I have been regaining my strength since then."  
  
"You did that to save humans?" Vegeta laughed. "You're worse than Kakarot."  
  
"Are you saying you're not human?" The Guardian paled as he regarded the warrior standing before him.  
  
"Of course not, how ridiculous. I am Prince of the Saiya-jins."  
  
"And you say that you've been fighting ever since you came to this planet?" Vegeta did not reply, merely folded his arms across his chest and fixed the Guardian with his best glare. "But if you've been doing all the fighting then that means an alien has been protecting the earth since I've been gone."  
  
"At last you show a glimmer of intelligence. I was beginning to think you were more of an idiot than Kakarot, protecting weaklings like the humans. Now either fight or be on your way. I will not tolerate your presence any longer." But the Guardian was not paying attention to Vegeta any longer. He was remembering what Kismet had said even as she walked away into the crowded streets of the city.  
  
You nearly gave your life to save them and this is what they do with your gift  
  
He clenched his jaw in anger and felt his limbs begin to tremble with the strain of keeping his temper in check.  
  
If you ask me, you should take it back  
  
take it back  
  
take it back  
  
The words echoed in his mind as he raised his arms and let out a scream of pure fury, his eyes flashing as energy poured out of his hands. Power flared out from his body and surged in a wave out across the First World, splashing out toward the Second, the Third and the Fourth.  
  
If you ask me, you should take it back  
  
There was a roar of power and blinding light as the Guardian of the Nine Worlds set about destroying the very thing he had nearly given his life to protect.  
  
***  
  
Kismet watched in sorrow as the first four Worlds were destroyed by the power of the Guardian's wrath. Even as she felt guilt seeping into her she shook her head, staring determinedly at the threads of the future. They changed before her very eyes, reweaving into a different future, one that came about because of her own interference. She forced her thoughts to the outcome that had been woven first, the destiny that would have claimed the Nine Worlds if she had not taken matters into her own hands. That fate would have been far worse, she knew, and far more permanent.  
  
"May I be forgiven for what I have done," she whispered, and turned her face away into the darkness to stare at the distance stars glittering with their heavenly light. Then she bent her head and wept shining tears into her pale hands, her mismatched eyes clenching shut against the visions of the future that descended upon her mind. At this point, she didn't want to see anything more.  
  
***  
  
From Phèdre, the Editor:  
  
So...Satan can scurry gracefully. Who would have thought? Oh well, I quite enjoyed this chapter. Did you? If so, maybe you should tell Sin. If not, well, maybe you should tell Sin anyway. She's very much fond of all the nice long reviews she's been getting. ^_^  
  
Next chapter, you get a character guide. A lot of the characters haven't even been introduced yet, so you'll get a jump-start on them. Also, Goku shows up next chapter, and you get insight on the poultry-geist rebellion. It's really quite funny, if I do say so myself.  
  
Until next time. 


	4. Chapter Three: What Do You Mean, Dead?

From Sin, The Author  
  
Wow, Chapter Three. Hehe. I'm really looking forward to that break after Chapter Four, it'll give me a chance to rest my poor brain and regain strength before I get to the next part. (sigh) Don't be surprised if there's a long vacation in between Chapters Four and Five; I don't plan on making my vacation short. (We're talking serious fun in the sun time during which my computer won't even be turned on)  
  
I would like to make a point of explaining something before this chapter begins, and hopefully if you read it you won't flame me about this later. There is going to be a lot of talk about Heaven, Hell, Purgatory and all that but I'm telling you right now that it is NOT RELIGIOUS. Bad people still go to Hell and all that but I won't be going into the whole religious side of it. Basically the Otherworldly realms are just like the realms of earth, except each one has a different purpose to serve. So I don't want to hear any whining about how I didn't represent Heaven correctly or someone wouldn't go to Hell if they were really sorry for what they did. Got it?  
  
There will be a character guide included at the end of this chapter for anyone who needs some help with the original characters. I will try to include as many details as I can about not only their place of origin and their reason for being but also their personality so you can get a good idea of what they're like.  
  
Well, not much else to say except for the usual bit.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any DBZ/SM characters. Admittedly, I do wish I were that special but unfortunately I'm not. Instead I have to settle for normal things like making faces at little kids, growling into the phone when annoying people call and running through the mall after random people screaming 'no don't leave me I LOVE you!!!' What, don't you do that? Shit. Never mind. ^_^  
  
***  
  
What Do You Mean, Dead?  
  
The back up in Purgatory was roughly equal to a traffic jam on a major highway right before several major exits just before a very major holiday. Long lines of people filled every inch of the main buildings and swept out into crowded streets where the hard-assed locals vied for position with newcomers still waiting to be judged. Now and then a poultry- geists, a small demonic chicken skeleton capable of something akin to flight, would hop by, hoisting a sign demanding rights for magically reanimated creatures. In short, it looked like a toy store at Christmas. In fact, the only things missing were the random catfights that broke out between over-stressed soccer mom's trying to get Billy and Tommy the last power morph with laser action and helmets that go swoosh.  
  
Hel, sitting in an office that was flooded with the recently deceased and already somewhat crowded because of the new file cabinets needed to hold the new files, was beginning to lose her grip. There had been several billion people on each one of the Four Worlds when they were destroyed and now every single one was standing in her realm waiting to be judged, by her. The thought was galling even to a seasoned veteran and Hel, sensitive and somewhat insecure person that she is, was not dealing well with it.  
  
"Um yeah, so you say that you once stole a gumball from one of those little candy baskets at the candy store?" The little girl across the desk nodded, her eyes wide as she stared up at the deity that ruled Purgatory.  
  
"Mommy wouldna let me 'ave it," she exclaimed, and Hel jotted a few notes down on the file in front of her.  
  
"Anything else?"  
  
"One time I 'it my brofver cuz he wouldna let me 'ave my dolly back." The girl folded her arms and stuck her tongue out at a little boy who stood a few feet away.  
  
"All right then." Hel brought her personal seal down on the file, closed it, and placed it in a file cabinet marked Elysian Fields. "Off you go." She made a shooing motion with her hands and reached for the next file in the pack.  
  
"Um, m'lady?" The secretary stood in the doorway with a troubled expression on her face.  
  
"Yes, what is it?" Hel looked very calmly up at the woman who had been her secretary for over a thousand years, even as the little boy waiting in her office screamed and stuck his gum in her hair.  
  
"There's a, someone out here demanding to see you." The secretary shifted her weight from foot to foot, looking uncomfortable.  
  
"Well tell him he'll have to wait his turn. I still have over a hundred people to see today and I'm not really in the mood." The little boy was running in circles and making Indian calls, knocking over furniture as he went.  
  
"M'lady you might want to see him, he seems to have something important he wants to say."  
  
"Oh all right, but let me get rid of Squanto first." She fixed her blue-green eyes on the little boy who was now climbing her bookshelves. "Hey scrawny, get down here, answer my questions, and I'll give you some candy." The boy squealed and jumped down from his perch to sit in the chair in front of the desk. "Good boy. Now just tell me all the.the good things that you've done and I'll see if I can get this gum out of my hair." In a very cheerful voice the little boy started ticking off all the good things he had done in his years on earth. It was a very short list.  
  
"Candy! Candy Candy Candy CANDY!" The boy started hopping up and down and Hel smiled as she handed him a chocolate bar.  
  
"Don't eat all of that before you get to the Elysian Fields, I really want you to get some on Lady Elysian's dress." Grinning evilly Hel waved him away and called to her secretary that she would see the stranger now. A few moments later the door opened and Vegeta walked into the office.  
  
***  
  
The Guardian sat on the old rock wall surrounding his lookout, gazing over the remaining Five Worlds. He hadn't really meant to destroy the first Four, teach them a lesson maybe but not completely eradicate them. Now he could see empty rings where they had been, a lifeless measure of space where billions of people had lived and worked. Closing his eyes he turned his head slightly so that the emptiness was not in his line of sight.  
  
"Not what you expected?" Kismet sat beside him, her mismatched eyes regarding him coolly. The Guardian grimaced and shook his head slightly, gripping his staff in an attempt to soften his guilt.  
  
"I just wanted them to understand; I didn't mean to kill them all."  
  
"Of course I understand." Kismet patted his hand reassuringly and he looked up to see her smiling at him. "You just lost your temper, and who could really blame you? That Vegeta was really very arrogant and everyone else that you had already seen did not help you to feel better about your sacrifice."  
  
"I just couldn't stand it, the way that they wasted their lives away doing such ridiculous things. They did nothing good with their lives at all." Kismet was nodding, but her face was sad. She sighed.  
  
"I know, but you still killed them." The Guardian slumped his shoulders and the deity of fate continued. "Maybe Hel would understand, but none of the others would."  
  
"Others? What are you talking about?"  
  
"The mass-destruction of a race is punishable by death you see, and Satan won't let you get away with this. Especially after you threw such a fit trying to get our assistance when the invaders came eight hundred years ago. This will be seen as a sign that you are not fit to guard any longer, and the Council cannot let you dwell in the Tenth World after what you've done." Kismet sighed again. "I'm afraid their only choice will be to have you executed."  
  
"But.you said it yourself, how could I have done anything else?"  
  
"Yes, well, I'm afraid that I'm the only one that will see it that way. Hel might, you know how sympathetic she can be but she doesn't have the power to put a stop to it without assistance. Maybe if Void helped her.but that would never happen. You see, Void keeps a few humans as company and the destruction of Four Worlds will upset her a great deal." She put an arm around the Guardian's shoulders. "You've made yourself quite a few enemies, my friend."  
  
"What can I do? I can't just let them kill me!"  
  
"Of course not, although I don't really see what you can do. With the death of the Four Worlds there will be a veritable army in the Otherworld and you can bet that Satan and Arcadia will use every resource available to track you down and kill you. Without a force to equal theirs, I'm afraid you'll have no way to win."  
  
"But I could." The Guardian's eyes had turned to the last Five Worlds and a strange expression had crossed his face.  
  
"Why, what do you mean?"  
  
"I could contact the powers of the last Five Worlds and bring them into an alliance against the Otherworld. They could be my army, to face off with the deities and their forces. That might keep them from killing me, right?" Kismet tilted her head to consider his words.  
  
"You know, that might just do the trick. After all, they may not want to face off with another force equal to their own. Even if they do still go after you, you'll have a large force between them and you." Kismet was nodding. "Yes, that could work." Then the Guardian was climbing to his feet, leaning against his staff and staring down at the last Five Worlds.  
  
"Thank you for your counsel Kismet. You are really a true friend." He nodded at the deity and took off toward the remaining rings that were still active with life. From his lookout Kismet watched him go, a deep sorrow on her face.  
  
"I'm sorry, really I am." She whispered. "But the alternative is far worse." And she closed her eyes, vanishing slowly from view as she returned to her loom of time to watch the future unravel and reweave, as it had been doing since the moment the Guardian had asked for the Council's assistance eight hundred years before.  
  
***  
  
"Uh, how many people was that?" Vegeta repeated the number he had spoken a moment before and Hel coughed. "Quite an uh, accomplishment isn't it?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"Well then, have you ever done anything, er, good?"  
  
"I saved those pitiful humans a few times." The Saiya-jin scowled. "Not that such a thing can be construed as 'good' but you know how those creatures are." Hel nodded meekly. "Oh yes, and I had a son. Strong boy." There was an odd sort of satisfaction in Vegeta's eyes as he said this and Hel cocked her head slightly.  
  
"Hmm. All right let's just take a look then." She trailed off as the phone began to ring. "Please excuse me for a moment." Vegeta nodded and she picked up the receiver. "Hello? Oh yes he's here now. I was just about to make a final decision and send him on his way.oh. Yes, yes I understand. Right, uh-huh. Sure thing, Bye."  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Turns out you're a special case." Hel grinned at him and her personal seal was stamped on the front page of his file. "I'll see that you're given proper quarters in Hiatus and we'll schedule a meeting for a few weeks from now, you know, after all this mess had died down."  
  
"A meeting for what?"  
  
"Well you see, there's been a bit of a crisis." She opened the door and waved him out. "Turns out you get the chance to the save the Universe this time, not just the Earth." Then the door closed and Hel returned to her desk. A new file had appeared and as she gazed at it she smiled. "Well I'll be damned." She picked up her phone. "Yes, send the next one in would you?" The door opened, shut, and the next customer sat down in the chair.  
  
"Not a word Hel, I don't want to hear a single word." Void glared at her friend and the girl stifled a giggle behind her hand. Then she coughed, shuffled her papers and fixed a serious gaze on the ruler of Hiatus.  
  
"So, what did you do in your life on Earth?"  
  
***  
  
Serenity knew what it felt like to die, or at least, what it was like to leave life for a while before returning. She had done so before, perishing along with her friends and her beloved in the midst of battle only to be returned to the earth a short time later. Unfortunately the Ginzuishou had always caught her before, holding her soul in the living realm until she was animated once again. Therefore she had never fallen through the Gate of the Dead and was completely unprepared for the icy shock of the Otherworld.  
  
Groaning, she rolled over onto her stomach and rose shakily to her knees, glancing around in confusion. The landscape had been formed in muted tones of gray, green and blue that had been streaked here and there with gold, giving the sky a look of permanent sunset. Overhead the sun flickered indecisively, shadowed by dark clouds so that it cast only a weak glow upon the land. It was eerie enough by itself, but on top of the strange lighting her husband and her friends were nowhere to be seen. Nor, in fact, was anyone else.  
  
"Mamoru?" her voice cracked and she swallowed heavily, trying to keep a firm grip on her emotions. "Rei?" Only silence replied and she allowed herself a tiny shiver as she climbed nervously to her feet. "Is anyone there?" A chilly wind blew and she wrapped her arms around her torso in an attempt to warm her flesh. "Ami? Minako, this isn't funny."  
  
After a few moments she struggled clumsily out of the stream that she had landed in, slipping several times as she fought against the sheer banks on either side. Just as she got a firm grip on the silvery grass that grew along the rim of the stream one foot caught a wet patch of mud and shot out from under her. She grasped sharply with both hands, her stiff fingers closing around the dark root of a twisted tree growing a few feet away. Tears sprang to her eyes as she clung to the vine-like piece of wood, feeling helpless as she considered how she would get up to the top now.  
  
"Hey, do you need some help?" A shock of dark hair appeared, followed by a pair of curious dark eyes. "You kinda look like you might be in trouble." Without waiting for a reply the stranger reaching out with one hand and pulled her easily up onto solid ground.  
  
"Thanks." Serenity stood up and began brushing some of the mud off her skirt. "Oh no!" she cried, looking around suddenly. "The Ginzuishou, what happened to it?"  
  
"Uh, what's a Ginzee shoe?" The man who had helped her up was scratching his head in confusion and the young queen found herself blushing.  
  
"It's my, ah, my brooch." She explained weakly, giving one last look around as she tried to remember what she had done with the power crystal. "I must have dropped it or something when I fell." Then she frowned as she realized she didn't really know where she had fallen from.  
  
"Oh, you're new here huh?" The stranger chuckled. "When I first got here I was so lost I didn't even know where I was." He looked down at her. "My name's Goku."  
  
"Se.Usagi." She smiled. "You wouldn't happen to have seen anyone else around here would you? I don't know where my friends went."  
  
"Well I haven't seen anyone else in the area, but there was just a major influx of people from the living world. I think I heard something about a cat, or maybe it was a chasm." He frowned as he tried to think. "It could have been a catachasm."  
  
"A what?" Goku shrugged, grinning widely.  
  
"I have no idea. I just know that there are suddenly a lot more people than there were before and they're all making their way to the main city of Purgatory. Maybe your friends are there."  
  
"Great." Usagi grumbled. "I'm lost!" For a moment she felt a tickle of panic at the back of her mind as she considered the fact that she was wet, tired, lost, and alone with a very strong man. It was enough to make her nervous. "You know I should probably just go and."  
  
"I could take you to the city. I'm going anyway to see if my wife and son are here and I wouldn't mind showing you the way." At the mention of a family, Usagi felt the tension begin to ease away. He couldn't be that bad if he had a wife and a son, right?  
  
"Could you?" Her eyes grew to the size of milk saucers and shone faintly with tears as she looked at him. "I would really appreciate it."  
  
"All right, this way." Goku took a step, frowned, and stepped back. "Or maybe it was this way." After a few moments he stopped, scratched his head, and laughed. "Okay, I have no idea. Why don't we just head that way, between those trees over there and we'll see where we end up."  
  
"I'm lost." Usagi wailed, and reluctantly began to follow her directionally challenged guide on a winding path that would, hopefully, lead them both to the city.  
  
***  
  
The poultry-geist rebellion was not going well. After three months of campaigning, the reanimated chicken skeletons found that aside from being out of a job, nothing else was happening. The recently deceased demonic chicken had reassured them that if they went on strike and refused to work until they received improved conditions, things would get better. Now they could only watch as their long-time rivals the hemo-goblins were promoted and life went on without them as usual. Disconcerted they had sought the creature that had encouraged them to rebel, only to discover that he was nowhere to be found.  
  
That morning they had nominated a new leader who had called a meeting in order to discuss what they should do. Of course, chicken skeletons can't speak even if they have been reanimated, so the entire meeting was silent save for a few clicking sounds that could be accepted as speech. Basically the gathering went as follows:  
  
"Hey all you dead-but-living chicken skeletons," (they have no word for reanimated) "The recently dead non-skeletal chicken has left us and we need to decide what we should do. The boss-lady said she'd let us come back to work whenever we wanted and I think we should go. Any questions?" Utter silence reigned in the small woodland clearing that the poultry- geists had scoped out as their meeting place. "Okay. Let's go back to work." If only all problems could be solved so easily.  
  
Knowing that reanimated chicken skeletons have very little brainpower at all and are only able to think because of the energy their creator puts into them, this was a very big deal. Not only had the poultry-geists formed their own government structure but also they had made a very clear choice involving their future as citizens and workers in Purgatory. Now that they were ready to work again it was just a matter of receiving their orders from Lady Hel. When they did they set out at once to comb the countryside, looking for a man with spiky black hair and a girl with blonde hair tied up in odangos.  
  
***  
  
"Are we lost again?" Usagi's inquired, looking around as Goku struggled to figure out where they were.  
  
"To tell you the truth I don't think we ever got un-lost. That path we were following doesn't seem to go anywhere." He chuckled and glanced at the trees surrounding them. "I guess we should just pick a direction and go."  
  
"I hate this and I want to go home." While not the childish whine it had once been, Usagi's voice could still hold a certain note that made those around her do anything to shut her up.  
  
"Calm down, we'll figure it out." Goku frowned. "Maybe I could try using instant transmission."  
  
"Instant what?" The question came out in a squeak and Usagi shook her head. "I mean, what is that?"  
  
"Well, I can focus my energy into transporting myself to a place far away without having to actual go through the motions of traveling there. I can go from here to there instantly." Remembering the Sailor Teleport Usagi nodded.  
  
"Would it work if you had to take me with you?"  
  
"I think so." The Saiya-jin shrugged goofily. "Although I'm not really positive. You could end up in the middle of nowhere."  
  
"Great, that's just great." Folding her arms across her chest Usagi tried to think about what she should do, something that had never really been her strong point. Before she could get very far a strange clucking noise caught her attention. "What."  
  
"Ssh." Goku waved a hand to silence her as he looked toward the bushes, which had begun to rustle. "Stay here." He darted forward and, in a move far too swift to be seen by the young queen, plucked a squirming chicken skeleton from the brush.  
  
"Euwww. What is that thing?" Usagi demanded, making a face. The skeleton clucked again and Goku frowned.  
  
"I think it wants something," he said after a moment, setting the creature on the ground and watching it intently as it began to scratch something in the dirt. When it finished Goku was staring down at the picture, which looked like a bunch of shapes, laid out in a design. "Uh, I don't know what that is," he admitted, and the skeleton hopped up and down in frustration, pointing a wing at the drawing. "Nope, not ringing any bells. Sorry."  
  
Usagi, who had been hovering at the edge of the clearing, moved forward curiously. Leaning over the kneeling Goku her eyes widened in surprise as she recognized what looked like an overhead view of city buildings. Having seen something similar before the construction of Crystal Tokyo her face lit up.  
  
"That must be the city we're trying to go to."  
  
"Wow, you know what you're right! That looks like the main buildings in the center of the city." Goku studied the map carefully, identifying several familiar places. Realizing that for once she had done something helpful, Usagi beamed. "But why is that thing showing us this?"  
  
"Maybe he wants us to go there," Usagi suggested, and Goku's eyes widened as he turned to the small creature, which was now hopping up and down and clucking excitedly.  
  
"You know, I think that's it." Feeling even better after doing two helpful things in a row, Usagi's smile widened.  
  
"Then let's go. Those fish you caught were good but I'm still really hungry."  
  
"Funny, me too." Then they turned and began following the chicken skeleton back in the direction it had come from, glad that they had managed to figure something out.  
  
***  
  
The Guardian gazed across the wide table at the men and women arrayed before him, each watching him expectantly in return. For a moment the image of the empty rings that had once held the first Four Worlds filled his mind, but he shook it away and smiled. Reaching across the table he began to shake hands with his new generals, nodding at each one in turn.  
  
"You're doing the right thing," he assured them pleasantly. "I promise you won't regret it." His eyes met those of the silver-haired young man sitting directly across from him and the man smiled, his lips pulling back to reveal sharp fang-like teeth.  
  
"Oh I'm sure we won't." His voice was silky and he spoke in a low tone, his dark eyes shadowed in his handsome face. "After all, its not every day you are offered this kind of power."  
  
"Then we have a solid agreement?"  
  
"Absolutely."  
  
"Good. I think it would be best if we started laying our plans." The Guardian called for some paper and sat back with a satisfied smile on his face as the final discussions began. "Excuse me for a second." The others nodded as he excused himself and they returned to their conversations as he walked out of the tent. Once outside he gazed across the wide fields stretching around him, fields that were covered with the largest living army ever mobilized in the history of the universe. He'd like to see the deities of the Tenth World try and destroy him now.  
  
*** Sailor Ronin Usa-chan- You are NOT a monkey. I am very glad you enjoyed my descriptions, because I am a freak and like writing them. Also.....drrnrnrn, oops, sorry. Random moment. Anyway, thanks for pointing out the minor error in Chapter Two. Those things just kinda slip by, you know? Oh well, thank you for reviewing.  
  
Black Aura-Sama- At least you tried. I am rather happy you actually made an attempt, unlike some other monkey-type creatures that I know. ^_^  
  
Niamh- You are also not a monkey. However, I would like to clarify that I am not holding updates until I get a certain amount of reviews. That would be a monkey-like thing to do and I would probably have to indulge in a few rounds of self-punishment if I did such a heinous thing. The truth is, I wait until the chapter moves to a later page, just so that it actually moves when I update. That gives people the chance to surf a little and read it at leisure, rather than having it barking up their ass every time they click on an icon. ^_^  
  
Almaseti- Yay. You're cool. Thank you for the compliments on my descriptions and the slight warning about using too many of those same old plot devices. I will do my best to avoid doing that, and if you spot a nasty little screamer you have permission to smash me over the head with a concrete bat and yell at me to rewrite it. Oh, on Chapter Three, you may not have read the paragraph with Bulma and Vegeta as carefully as you thought. Bulma is actually inside the house and is found to be standing on the porch when Vegeta takes off, yelling at him. However, mix-ups are understandable and I hope I will be able to clear up any confusion readers may have.  
  
Silver Moon Goddess- You are a monkey. Did you not read my author's notes? If you don't want to be thoroughly trashed in my notes, leave a better review than that. What kind of a review is 'this is interesting so far...blah blah blah the end?' Did you find that in the mind of a crappy little middle school brat or did you actually think of it on your own? Maybe if we gave you a typewriter and you sat there long enough, you'd come up with a review worthy of Shakespeare, or at least me. Goo you freak. Um, did I mention you are a monkey?  
  
Sporanox- Okay. Um. I would just like to take this opportunity to say that I am not totally responsible for any ramblings that may occur in my replies to reviews. We'll just say that I wasn't really myself, having written far too much than is healthy for me, and leave it at that.  
Thank you for the warnings about run-on sentences. I tend to mutter incoherently when I type and sometimes it leaks into my writing. I will try to watch out for that in the future.  
Also, I will think about what you said concerning the title. That was more of a...well, I was braid-dead and drooling on my shirt at the time so I just typed out the first thing that popped into my head.  
Hehe. Thanks for the review. I must go off into my own little world now.  
  
Sailor Heart- MONKEY. MONKEY. MONKEY. MONKEY. NO. You are not a monkey. You're worse than a monkey. You aren't even fit to kiss a monkey's gross hairy little feet. I have nothing more to say except IF YOU PLAN ON REVIEWING, TRY TO WRITE SOMETHING WORTH READING FOR A CHANGE!  
  
Labyris- Yet another monkey. It seems we have an infestation. Ah. I'm just too annoyed right now to do your pathetic review any justice. Therefore I will simply say: Go find your little typewriter, hook up with Silver Moon Goddess, and see if, between the two of you, something of note might occur.  
  
From Phèdre, the Editor: ::shoos monkeys away:: For those of you who aren't monkeys, thank you for reviewing. ^_^ Umm...I dunno what else. Go read the character guide, and maybe you'll be less confused. Or more confused...  
  
CHARACTER GUIDE ^_^  
  
Villain: The Guardian. He is very misled and after almost giving his life for the Nine Worlds he feels a little bit cheated when the humans throw their lives to shit. After some urging from Kismet and a few choice words from Vegeta he gets pissed and unleashes a blast that destroys the first Four Worlds and everyone on them. Then he goes and raises a massive army from the people of the other Five Worlds with plans to fight the Otherworld.  
  
Heroes:  
  
1st World: Z-fighters right after Cell battle  
  
2nd World:  
  
Deepak: a very thin, wiry type of kid. He has black hair, darkly tanned skin and blazing green eyes. As a sorcerer he is very strong and his powers are based on earthly things.  
  
Jabilo: old man with long white beard and leathery skin. He is a very talented healer and aside from being very odd can control some pretty nasty magic from the stars.  
  
3rd World:  
  
Hirobi: buff-warrior type with sun-bleached hair and faded blue eyes. His weapon of choice is a battle-axe and he can be a real ass.  
  
Naoise: very small woman with long fair hair and gray eyes. She fights with a pair of daggers and is extremely effective in tight situations. Most of the time she's as much of a hard-ass as Hirobi but she can be somewhat sensitive.  
  
4th World: SM Girls- you know them too but I'm not really sure if I'm going to put Setsuna, Haruka, Michiru and Hotaru in this one or not, that's kinda up in the air still.  
  
Villain Army:  
  
5th World:  
  
Kaisha: brown hair/blue eyes, a skilled hand to hand fighter and something of a priss.  
  
Llywelyn: silver hair and dark eyes; a smooth-talking lady's man but also a real bastard most of the time.  
  
6th World:  
  
Sivan: blonde-haired, brown-eyed, a prophetess and also a priestess who believes in a Goddess of Darkness.  
  
Eilwen: red-haired and freckled, fights with bow and arrows and is a very talented tactician.  
  
7th World:  
  
Hedva: Oldest of the Villain Army officers, white hair and faded eyes, mostly just a tactical advisor but she has power over the weather.  
  
8th World:  
  
Isha: very sweet and young, but she fights better with a blade than most men. She has curling blonde hair and cat-like green eyes.  
  
Naya: older than Isha, specializes in types of poisons and explosives. She has short brown hair and dark eyes and her personality matches her profession.  
  
9th World:  
  
Moran: Black-haired brown-eyed young man who is a very talented telekinetic- he is boyish and kind to most until he goes out onto the battlefield.  
  
Zhetarah: Long black hair and almost golden eyes, Moran's sister, a telepath who can control the minds of others she is very reserved and cold.  
  
Other  
  
10th World: Otherworld-  
  
Hel: ruler of Purgatory, brown hair drawn up into pigtails and blue-green eyes, she is very childlike and extremely stressed out.  
  
Void: ruler of Hiatus and the Sovereign of Souls, long auburn hair and green/gray eyes, can be very lonely but she has a pair of judged humans, Juraviel and Kuren, to keep her company.  
  
Cyrille: Representative from one of the Unnamed human sectors of the Otherworld, blonde hair and honey-brown eyes, very calm and collected.  
  
Seda: Also a Rep from an Unnamed human sector, long brown hair and hazel eyes, he is very withdrawn and quiet.  
  
Arcadia: Ruler of Heaven, beautiful and very snobby, long pale hair and crystal blue eyes.  
  
Elysian: Fun-loving ruler of the Elysian Fields, short, curly dark hair and flashing brown eyes flecked with green.  
  
Limbo: Ooh, he's swarthy. Very dark and very disagreeable to boot, the sovereign of that non-place called Limbo.  
  
Satan: Well well well, a familiar face at last. Sort of. He's the ruler of Hell and the ruler of Purgatory's big brother. He can be very pompous and arrogant but has something of a good heart; he is protective of Hel and in love with Void.  
  
Kismet: The deity of the future, one bright blue eye and one gold, long dark hair, mysterious and appears to be working with the Guardian to destroy the Tenth World. 


	5. Chapter Four: Love, Demons and Saving th...

From Sin, the Author:  
  
Okay, this is the seriously revised version of chapter four. I wrote it at least a month ago but I couldn't stand it so I uh, well, I deleted the entire thing and decided to rewrite it from scratch. Hehe. I tend to do that quite often. Oh well, this is definitely better than what I had originally, so enjoy.  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own any SM/DBZ characters. Now run along and be good little children, and for goodness sake don't try to eat any of the demonic minions, even if they insist that they aren't poisonous. Believe me, it isn't worth it.  
  
***  
  
Love, Demons, and Saving the Universe  
  
Kismet gazed with haunted eyes at the lush green landscape that made up her domain, trying to find solace in the vine draped shadows of the forest. Birds fluttered down on silent wings from their perches, stabbing talons and beaks at the ground before disappearing once again. A faint smile touched her lips as she watched the intricate dance of wildlife crossing her path, but the smile faded quickly. With a weary sigh she began to walk down a well-worn path, her mind fixed on a far off destination.  
  
She had not gone far when she sensed a presence nearby, hovering at the edge of her vision as though uncertain of his welcome. A gentle tug brought him out of the brush, blushing slightly and staring determinedly at his feet.  
  
"Bardock." It was more than just his name. It was an invitation to tell her what was on his mind. Clearing his throat, the Saiya-jin looked warily up at her.  
  
"I'm worried about you." Moments passed without a word and when his admission remained unchallenged, he straightened. "You've been distracted lately, and I can tell you've got something weighing heavily on you." He looked into her eyes for a few seconds, seeking an answer. "Won't you tell me what's wrong?"  
  
"I.it's." Kismet shook her head.  
  
"Kismet." Bardock's eyes narrowed and she bit off her denial before it left her lips. Looking at him she knew that if she didn't tell him he would find out on his own, and would resent having to search because she refused to answer. Her shoulders slumped slightly and she glanced away.  
  
"Knowing the future is a curse more than a blessing. You know that." A shadow of memory passed across the surface of his eyes and he nodded, his mouth twisted into a wry smile.  
  
"Yes. I know."  
  
"Then you can understand how knowing the future can make you want to change it, even if you know that you're meddling with things better left alone." Again Bardock nodded, his eyes hardening as he began to see.  
  
"What's going to happen?" He asked softly.  
  
"If I don't do something." She shivered and wrapped her arms more tightly around her body. "If I don't act, everything will die. Not just the living realms but also the Otherworld will be destroyed. All the people, every life that has ever been will disappear." She closed her eyes. "It will be the end of all things."  
  
Bardock stared at her silently; the shock in his eyes clue enough to what was going through his mind. He opened his mouth to speak, closed it, opened it again and licked his lips in an effort to collect his thoughts. Kismet watched him with understanding and sympathy on her face, waiting for him to come to terms with what she had said.  
  
"Void?" He asked finally, and Kismet shook her head.  
  
"If there were void, then the Lady of Hiatus would be able to harness it and keep the rest of us safe." She turned back to face him, a deep well of sorrow shadowing her gaze. "Bardock it will be more than void, it will be worse than that. I can't explain everything now but." she sighed. "I have to do something. Do you understand?"  
  
"Yes." The Saiya-jin put an arm around her, letting her lean against his chest as she began to cry. "I understand." He did too, because once he had tried to do the same thing on a smaller scale. His only hope was that where he had failed, she would somehow succeed.  
  
***  
  
The Guardian had erected a tent in the army camp of the Fifth World, taking pride in the fact that he did not use any magic in its construction. Looking around at the other tents he smiled, enjoying the feeling of belonging that swelled in his chest. Gathering up his staff he began making his way toward the main tent.  
  
"Is there enough room for one more?" He asked kindly, ducking into the tent. The two generals looked up in unison, regarding him in silence for a few moments. Llywelyn smiled coolly, his dark eyes revealing nothing in a handsome face that revealed even less.  
  
"I think we can spare a little space." He said lazily. Beside him his partner Kaisha scowled, her pretty face twisted into an ugly expression as she opened her mouth to protest. Before she could utter a single syllable however, Llywelyn cut in once again. "After all, you are the leader." Kaisha's mouth snapped shut and she glared daggers at her associate before turning to the Guardian. Both men noticed with amusement as her face changed, melting her scowl into a sweet and charming smile.  
  
"We were just discussing the best way to coordinate the armies for the invasion. I was wondering how you planned to get us all onto a battlefield together when we're on separate planets and the enemy is in another dimension altogether." There was an insult buried in the words and a thread of disgust in her voice but the Guardian only smiled.  
  
"The armies will not be coordinated at all. I expect the Council will send several smaller groups out to engage our forces once they learn that we have mobilized. A small push at the Gate of the Dead and they should finally rise from their age-old stupor. If they are still as irritable as they were eight hundred years ago, they'll do their utmost to destroy us as soon as possible." Smiling widely, the Guardian folded his arms across his chest.  
  
"You seem pretty happy for someone who just said we were all going to die." Kaisha, while trying to keep her voice light, still conveyed her annoyance and her disbelief through an arched eyebrow and a twisted smile.  
  
"We are not all going to die." He replied. "Even if we do die, the deceased will simply become our army in the Otherworld, attacking the enemy from behind." He paused and his smile widened. "The Council won't stand a chance once I have them on two sides. As soon as we take Purgatory and Elysian they'll have to surrender."  
  
"They could retreat to Hiatus." The Guardian returned his attention to Llywelyn, the slyer of the two.  
  
"I am counting on it. If they go there they'll be trapped; the Lady controls the only portals and once I have control of her there will be no escape for them. They will be slaughtered like sheep."  
  
"But how can you be sure that the Lady of Hiatus can be controlled? I've heard she's a real bitch."  
  
"Come now, do you really believe everything you hear? Not all rumors can be trusted and I happen to know that it is a small matter to buy someone such as Lady Void. You really have no faith at all my dear." Leaning forward, the Guardian's smile vanished. "Do you really think that I would allow our forces to go into battle without having thought of all possible outcomes?"  
  
Hearing this the silver-haired general smiled.  
  
"I like the way you think."  
  
"Why thank you." The Guardian turned to Kaisha, who was listening to the exchange with a frown. "Would you mind bringing us some refreshment dear? I find that this body isn't as young as it used to be and I am quite famished."  
  
***  
  
Juraviel couldn't help but shiver as he gazed up at the cold features of the woman he had loved for centuries, finding no comfort in her face. There was no sign of his beloved in the chilly eyes or stone-set features. It was as if her smile and her laughter had been swallowed up by the Lady Void, drowned in her indifference and stifled by her silence. It took all of his strength and resolve not to flee the room.  
  
"You have asked for an audience Lady Kismet." The voice was toneless, as flat and dull as a gray stone. In response the slender ruler of Fate took a few steps forward, leaving the shadows along the wall and coming to stand before the dais.  
  
"There is an important matter that I must speak of with you." Kismet took a deep breath, glancing at Juraviel. "It must be alone."  
  
"Apparently you believe that you have more power here than you actually do. Juraviel leaves only at my request and I do not request that he leave me now." Void rose to her feet and began to walk down the dais. "If you have something to say to me you might as well say it while you still have the chance." She began to walk past Kismet, making her way toward the far door. For a few moments the Lady of Fate paused, hesitant.  
  
"No, wait!" She darted after Void, an expression of desperation in her eyes. "You don't understand." Her fingers wrapped around Void's shoulder. "Please." It was a breathless plea, but it shook something in the Lady of Hiatus's cool demeanor. After a moment Void lowered her gaze and gave a faint nod.  
  
"My Lady." Juraviel's voice trailed off as Void's eyes met his. He felt as though an icy fist had slammed into his gut. "Yes my Lady." He bowed his head and retreated, letting the wide doors shut soundly behind him.  
  
Inside the room Void turned her gaze once more to Lady Kismet, the command in them as firm and brilliant as a whip crack.  
  
"Now, what is it that you wish to tell me?"  
  
***  
  
"Juraviel?" Void wavered on her feet, looking pale as she made her way slowly down the hall. Her voice was weak as she called for her companion, her dearest friend, her love. "Juraviel, please."  
  
He would have ignored her, could have, if she hadn't sounded so fragile. Wincing, Juraviel pulled away from the shadows along the walls and took a step toward her. Tears filled her eyes as she looked at him and she took a staggering step forward before falling into his arms.  
  
"What is it?" He demanded. "What's wrong?" He could feel tears trickling down across his neck, could hear her sobs muffled against his shirt. "Please, tell me what's the matter? What did Kismet say to you?" She didn't answer him, merely cried against his chest and shook until he thought she was going to break. When she finally had shed her last tear she pulled away and looked up at him, a sick desperation in her eyes.  
  
"Juraviel, do you love me?" She asked softly, her voice scarcely more than a whisper.  
  
"Yes. Of course I love you." He watched, helpless as shadows crept across her face and she shuddered.  
  
"And you trust me?" It felt as if everything was riding on his reply, and he took a moment to catch her gaze before answering.  
  
"Always." She finally lowered her eyes and took a step away from him.  
  
"Then don't ask me what she said." ***  
  
Usagi and Goku stared at the massive army camp before them, their eyes wide with disbelief. Just ahead their skeletal friend clucked for them to hurry up, flapping his wings and clicking his bones together in irritation. They followed reluctantly after several moments of hesitation, now thoroughly unnerved.  
  
"I thought we were going to the city." Usagi said in a half-whisper as they trailed behind the poultry-geist. In reply, Goku shrugged and waved a hand at the camp.  
  
"Maybe his orders were changed or something." He put a hand out to steady her as she tripped over a tent post struck deeply into the ground. Nodding her thanks she continued on, dodging through thick crowds and skirting campfires in an effort to keep up with their guide.  
  
Eventually it became apparent that, in spite of the chaos, the camp had been laid out in a purposeful and practical design. The tents of the soldiers were in the outermost ring; followed by medical facilities, supply wagons, and the council arena. Everything seemed to be arranged into smaller groupings that filtered into a whole, eliminating any actual disorder that might have occurred. Seeing it, Goku gave an appreciative whistle. He was not the most intelligent of beings but he could recognize the work of a war veteran when he saw it.  
  
"Who do you suppose is in charge here?" Usagi asked softly, her blue eyes darting across the lines of men and beasts that covered the plains.  
  
"I don't know, but I think we're about to find out." The poultry- geist had stopped in front of a large tent near the center of the camp and was clucking loudly to the sets of guards surrounding the structure. After a few moments the men stepped aside and ushered the young woman and her companion inside.  
  
"Lady Hel?" Goku stared in disbelief at the woman scribbling furiously at a desk in the first part of the tent. Her head snapped up at the sound of her name and she blinked confusedly at the two before breaking into a smile.  
  
"Oh. Hello. I wasn't expecting you for another day or so." A faint frown touched her lips and she cocked her head, pigtails wagging. "Or maybe I was expecting you today. Do you happen to know what day it is?" The two shook their heads and she sighed. "Ah well, I suppose that's what I get when I send the commander off on a mission and offer to take over myself. Nothing but work."  
  
"You mean you're not in charge?" Goku asked, obviously somewhat dismayed.  
  
"Oh heavens no. Actually, Prince Vegeta is. I appointed him a few weeks ago.oh dear, you've no idea what's going on, do you?" They shook their heads in unison and Hel groaned. "Where do I start?"  
  
"How about with the reason for our being here?" Usagi suggested helpfully.  
  
"Right." Hel paused, glanced at the paperwork littering the desk and then back at her guests. "Vegeta can take care of all that when he gets back." She said at last, and stood up, stretching wearily. "Follow me, my temporary quarters are this way." Goku and Usagi followed her into a small antechamber that had been closed off from the rest of the tent by hanging curtains.  
  
"Now, where to begin?" Hel sighed. "I suppose that first I should explain about the man who is our enemy, a man called the Guardian.  
  
***  
  
The light was fading from the sky when Vegeta arrived at the boundary that marked off Saiya-jin lands. There he stopped, landing lightly on the ground and staring out over the same structures that had dominated his childhood. For a long time he merely stood there, arms folded across his chest, eyes hard and black and distant. He could not bring himself to go any further.  
  
Once he would have flown without even pausing to look at what was going on around him. In his arrogance he would have ignored anyone that came near, focusing wholly on the task at hand. Years had passed however, and he had not been fully among his own kind for so long he felt that he no longer truly knew how to act around them. So he stood there, cold, expressionless, his mind in turmoil as he sought an answer.  
  
"Damn you Kakarot." He muttered under his breath, preparing to launch himself skyward. "You and your bloody humans."  
  
It looked the same as it had when he had last seen it, proof that planets can enter the afterlife as surely as people. Buildings and cities covered the ground beneath him, rounded annexes and crowded training grounds fighting for space among private homes and masses of memories. No one saw him and he was careful to keep his power level low, not wanting to attract the attention he had once craved. In no time at all he was standing in front of his father's palace, staring into the faces of guards that were at once so much like himself, and so completely different.  
  
"Move aside." He growled, shoving the Saiya-jins away so that he could pass. They came in behind him, spewing curses and spitting threats as they tried to stop his progress through the halls. It was almost too easy to avoid their flying fists and sharp blows.  
  
"What is the meaning of this?" The voice brought Vegeta up short, stopping him so completely and so quickly that the guards collided with his solid back. As surprised as he was, they didn't even try to attack him.  
  
"Hello father." Vegeta said, addressing the tall brown-haired man standing in the doorway. "I've come to ask a favor."  
  
***  
  
After leaving Lady Hel's chamber, Usagi did not go straight to the area of the camp where she had been told her friends would be. Instead she walked through the rows of tents thinking about what she had been told. Even now, knowing the truth of her world's destruction and understanding the evil of the Guardian, she could not comprehend going through yet another war. The very idea was beyond her.  
  
How many wars like this have I seen? She thought to herself as she walked, her arms wrapped tightly around her torso. I thought it would be over when I died but now. Tears gathered in her eyes and she hastened to wipe them away before they could fall. I don't want to fight anymore. Why do I have to do anything anyway? Every time there's a war or someone trying to destroy us all I have to hurry up and try to save the world. I'm sick of it!  
  
"Mama!" Usagi blinked, torn from her thoughts by the wail that rose up from a young girl who stood a few feet away. The girl was very small and seemed to be lost, her eyes wildly searching the crowds of people around her for her mother.  
  
"What does your mama look like?" Usagi asked gently, crouching down in front of the child and taking her hand.  
  
"She's tall and she has black hair and." The Queen watched helplessly as the child began to sob.  
  
"Sssh. It's all right." She put an arm around the girl to soothe her. "Don't you worry, we'll find her." Standing up, she glanced around, trying to catch a glimpse of a dark-haired woman. "What's her name?"  
  
"Merina." The girl sniffled, clinging to Usagi's hand with wild hope in her bleary eyes.  
  
"Tasha? Tasha!" A tall woman with long black hair appeared, and the little girl leapt into her arms. The woman turned tear-filled eyes to Usagi. "Thank you." She whispered, and then she was gone, leaving the dead Queen of Crystal Tokyo alone.  
  
If I don't fight, there won't even be children anymore, Usagi thought, a wave of guilt washing over her. There won't be an Otherworld, or even a World. Everything will be gone. Her blue eyes warmed then and she began making her way to the camp where she knew her senshi and her husband would be waiting for her. Maybe this will be the last time. Maybe after this it can finally be over, and we can rest.  
  
***  
  
Author's Note: Okay. I know that no one looks at Vegeta as having any real emotions save anger and biting sarcasm, but come on people, he does have feelings. After living with the destruction of his planet and his people for all this time, he has to be at least a little bit emotional when he finally sees his home again. You may not be accustomed to seeing it this way but if you'll note, he never says or really does anything against his character. I just popped a heart into him and made him act a little more human. If you think I overdid it or whatever, you can bring it up in your review.  
As to his role as commander, let me point a few things out. First of all, he's the only one with any real battle experience save Goku, who, pardon me, but WHO THE HELL WOULD TRUST HIM WITH ANYTHING? Second of all, he may be arrogant and somewhat power hungry now and then, but since we lack better alternatives, he's the only one we're gonna use. So there.  
The part with Usagi is yes, very corny and probably somewhat cliché. However, I figured it was the best way to reveal what she was thinking and how her thoughts change. If you have a better suggestion, again, I would be willing to hear it, but don't count on me taking your advice.  
  
Sailor Ronin Usa-chan:  
Hehe. Thanks for the review. I like it when people are actually amused by my rather quirky and offbeat humor. Thanks for the compliment on my metaphors and my descriptions. Those are probably the things I'm best at in my writing, since my dialogue tends to go on, and on, and on... Anyway, thank you very much for taking the time to review and I hope you enjoy the rest of the story.  
  
Almaseti:  
Thanks for the book suggestion. I'll look into it if I get the chance, but right now I'm kinda...we'll just say that money is a big object and I don't have it.  
Grammatical errors: Blame Phèdre cuz she's my editor. She manages to clean most of it up but every now and then something slips by her. I'm not allowed to read what I write (sniffs) because I might delete it.  
Oh, and about the thing with the dots, Phèdre says she'll fix that, cuz she's special.  
Once again, thank you for your review. I really enjoy hearing from people. Bye Now.  
  
Labyris:  
You are still a monkey and in case you haven't noticed, you have not yet produced Hamlet. Therefore you are unworthy of praise...or a banana. Next Please.  
  
Pointy Ears Are My Thing:  
Okay, um. Yeah. First of all, I'm glad the character guide was helpful, since that's what it's for. There will be another one in the next part of the story to give details about characters during the war. Look for it in chapter one or something like that.  
About your offer for editing, thanks but I already have an editor. Phèdre does my major editing and all that, seeing as she is super special and things like that.  
Lastly, it's great that you were surprised by the Guardian's change of heart. It gives me a nice fuzzy feeling to know that my writing actually makes people feel anything but confused. Hehe.  
  
Angry Review Reader:  
YOU ARE AN IDIOT. That's really all I have to say about you. Did you not notice the fact that this is NOT Phèdre's story at all? Do I not say in the Author's notes that I am a different person, Sin, and that Phèdre is my editor? Obviously you didn't read any of the actual story or the Author's Notes, in which case you cannot judge my abilities. Also, It's not a free world. Get a clue. I sincerely hope that in one way or another this reaches your ears. Then maybe you'll take some time and actually figure out what's going on. OH yeah, and just for the record, Fuck You Too.  
  
Neo-merc:  
Oooh. A cool person. No, I'm not going to make fun of you. I only do that to idiots who can't leave a review to save their lives. (hint: Labyris) As to your fic-challenged brain, I hope you have some luck soon. If you post something I'll try and read it but there are no guarantees seeing as I, in all my glory, DON'T HAVE THE INTERNET. (sniffle)  
Thank God you actually have half a brain. (grin) You say Phèdre flamed you eh? It's awesome that for once someone didn't get all offensive and pissy. You actually listened to what she was saying. Oh My God. You should be an example for all those idiots out there that whine and mumble (like Angry Review Reader) but have no idea what they are talking about. Yay.  
  
From Phèdre, the EDITOR OF DOOM:  
Hmmmmm...what to say, what to say. Well, happy bunny rocks, for one thing! Anyway, back at the ranch...leave good reviews. Unlike Labyris. And read AUTHOR'S NOTES. They are MUY MUY IMPORTANTE!!! That is all. Wheeeee!!!!!!! 


	6. Epilogue: A Final Whisper

From Sin, the Author: At last, the final piece of Part One. What? Didn't I tell you? Oops. This story will be told in three parts. Hehe. Thought it was over did you? Not by a long shot. I just figured short parts would be easier than a really long story that would probably make you want to stop reading it. Just call it reader-friendly and we'll leave it at that.  
  
Disclaimer: I definitely do not own SM/DBZ because they belong to Naoko Takeuchi and Akira Toriyama, respectively. Therefore, because none of my multiple personalities goes by either of those names, I cannot, in any way shape or form, claim rights to the characters of those two shows. However the originals, which come straight from the disordered chaos of my brain (shudders) are mine. Not that you'd want them anyway, they smell funny and have serious mood swings that can make them very hard to handle. ^_^  
  
***  
  
Epilogue  
  
A Final Whisper  
  
The Council convened. Whispers filled the still air with their soft hissing and across the room eyes met with hostility and friendship alike. The deities were seated along one side of the chamber, Satan and Arcadia in the very center as the highest-ranking members. Opposite them sat the Defenders, Prince Vegeta among them as their commander and representative. Never had such a council taken place, and it was very likely that it never would again.  
  
"We've called this council for one reason and one reason only," Satan began, his voice soft steel as it slashed through the air. "The Guardian has declared war on all members of the Otherworld and even now he marches on the Gates of the Dead with an army equal to our own. We have sent all who are not warriors to the domains of Elysian and Arcadia and now it is time for us to take action."  
  
"What we are proposing," Arcadia said, standing beside him. "Is an all out war against the members of Worlds Five through Nine and those of the Otherworld who have chosen to stand against us." She looked to Vegeta. "Prince Vegeta has been appointed Commander of the Army that will fight for Otherworld. All that remains is that a vote be taken among both sides to ensure that all members of this force will support our cause."  
  
"All of those in favor of a declaration of war?" Satan inquired, his eyes on his fellow Council members. One by one the deities raised their hands, pale fingers arcing into the air to be counted. On the other side of the room the Defender's hands drifted upward as well, until all arms were up. The tally was made.  
  
"Twenty-nine." Arcadia frowned and looked around. "Where is Lady Void?" There was a long silence, filled with questioning glances and shrugging shoulders. "I'm afraid if she is not here there can be no decision on the vote." Arcadia said at last. "It must be unanimous."  
  
Just then a messenger slipped into the room, keeping his gaze down as he scurried to stand before Satan. The boy handed the Lord of Hel a delicate roll of parchment tied with a thin black ribbon. Bowing, the messenger hurried away once more and all eyes settled on Satan's shaking fingers as he untied the ribbon.  
  
"What is it Satan?" Hel asked, concern filling her voice as her brother's face turned a ghostly shade of white. The parchment fell from his hand and he turned wide eyes on his fellows, opening and closing his mouth soundlessly.  
  
"Out with it!" Limbo growled.  
  
"The vote has been taken and is considered unanimous." Satan said in a hoarse whisper.  
  
"Damnit Satan, you know very well we have to have all members of the Council approve a motion such as this in order for it to succeed. We'll have to wait until the Lady Void can join us before we."  
  
"That won't be necessary," Satan said, his voice steadier. "The Lady Void has declared war on the other domains of the Otherworld and, in doing so, removed herself from the Council."  
  
***  
  
Kismet fought to keep the tears from flowing down her cheeks as she watched the devastated members of the Council stand and file out of the room. She knew that the expression on Satan's face would never leave her, would instead remain imprinted on her mind for all time to come. Pain shot through her and she bit her lip, fighting it down even as the words flooded her mind.  
  
Your doing, she thought sadly. If it hadn't been for you none of them would be feeling this way now, but that is the price you pay when you meddle in the future.  
  
As she herself stood to leave the deity of Fate wondered if her meddling had been in vain, or if somehow, she had managed to change the future. If she had, then she knew the pain would be worth it, for all of them. However, if she had not...if her work had done nothing more than alter a few minor details she knew she would never bring herself to look into the future again, for fear of what she might see.  
  
It's up to you now Void, her mind murmured softly. Heaven help you if you succeed, heaven help the rest of us if you fail.  
  
***  
  
In her dark castle in the middle of the domain called Hiatus, the Lady Void sat curled up in a large chair, a haunted look in her eyes. Long hair fell around her shoulders and slid along her pale skin, cloaking her in its mass. Silence reigned around her, a deep, profound lack of noise that filled the air like a plague. A pen was still clutched in her slender fingers, the end dripping black ink on the skirt of her gown.  
  
"You did the right thing," a kindly voice said from beside her chair. "I will get what I want, and you will get what you want. In the end, everyone will be satisfied with what they have."  
  
"Will they?" Void asked softly, and as she spoke a tear made its way down her pale cheek. It froze halfway down her face and remained there, a salty drop of icy sorrow. Frost rimmed the windows and formed icicles on the edges of furniture throughout the room. Seeing it the Guardian laughed and, with a wave of his hand, was gone. Behind him the deity remained sitting in her chair, surrounded by ice and staring unwaveringly at the frozen light of a candle halfway across the room.  
  
***  
  
Note from Sin, The Author: Finally, this is the last of Part One and I can take a lengthy break before starting in on Part Two. If you've enjoyed this in any way shape or form, keep an eye out for the next part, which should be coming out.sometime in the next century or so. Basically, look for stuff posted by Phèdre but written by me, with the words 'sequel' or 'Part two' in the summary, and you should be good.  
  
From Phèdre, The Editor: The second stage of the story will be named (tentatively) The Shadow of War. The prologue and chapter one have been written, but need a lot of editing. I'm not sure when I'll get them finished. School has been pretty nasty lately. (I had three papers due on the same day)  
  
As always, if you're going to review, be helpful. 


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